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The Texas-targeted ad was on a Facebook page called "Heart of Texas" and it took direct aim at Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as someone standing in the way of Texas independence. Its headline message was "Get ready to secede!"

The Russian ads, released by Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, offer the public the first in-depth look at the attempts to divide the U.S. ahead of the 2016 election.
USA TODAY

AUSTIN — Among the thousands of Russian-linked ads that bombarded Facebook users in the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election was one that sought to capitalize on the Texas secessionist movement, according to documents released Thursday by Democrats on the U.S. House Intelligence Commission.

The Texas-targeted ad was on a Facebook page called "Heart of Texas" and it took direct aim at Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as someone standing in the way of Texas independence. Its headline message was "Get ready to secede!"

"Fellow Texans!" the message began. "It's time to say a strong NO to the establishment robbers. It is unacceptable for us to see them ruin all we've been building for decades. For centuries. The establishment thinks they can treat us like stupid sheep but they are wrong. We won’t put up with this anymore."

Another, with a less direct partisan message, features a 19th century Texas battlefield scene with the Lone Star flag and the Confederate battle flag being carried by warriors.

"Honor your ancestors," reads the headline.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat who serves on the intelligence panel, said Americans need to see the extent of Russian meddling.

“These Facebook advertisements released today are the most brazen example of Russia's intent to weaponize our social media platforms, divide and polarize our political system, and exploit frustration and anger held by the American public," Castro said. "The advertisements also demonstrate the IRA’s (Russia's Internet Reseach Agency) multifaceted approach that capitalized on racial, ethnic, political and state cleavages, as evidenced in the creation of specific pages dedicated to the Texas secessionist movement."

This ad was among the Russian-backed Facebook pages that targeted the 2016 elections, House Democrats say.(Photo: House Intelligence Committee Democrats)

Casey Michel, a journalist and Russian studies scholar, told the USA TODAY NETWORK that he first began suspecting a Kremlin connection to the Heart of Texas site early in 2016 because of some of the odd syntax used in its ads and posts.

"One of them just said, 'In love with Texas shape,'" Michel said, referring to a post that featured a version of the outline of a Texas map. "They are all English words, but nobody uses that set of words in that way."

Michel, a former Peace Corps volunteer who now writes for ThinkProgress, began saving screenshots and said he was not surprised Heart of Texas was among the pages Facebook later took down as part of the effort to rid its site of Russian influence.

Michel said the Russians likely viewed the secessionists as "useful idiots," but also added that modern conservatives and members of separatist movements sometimes feel a kinship with autocratic governments.

"I think they (secessionists and separatists) are more than willing to take whatever help they can get," he said.